CC+6+2T/kC+8+2T loading $ $ 0

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Bridge certificate issued by RDSO for bridges are valid for standard BGML, RBG and MBG loading superstructures drawing/designs. The non standard designs of superstructures and substructures are to be checked certified safe for carrying CC+6+2T/CC+8+2T loads by the railways themselves. However, it is very difficult to check all the existing bridge superstructures and substructures in absence of completion drawings of the bridges which are more than 100 years old. CRS sanctions are being obtained in most of the cases (with bridge certificate) without checking the bridges or based on some sample checking of a bridge. However, this is not a desirable situation from safety point of view or the life of bridge structures.

It is a widely accepted fact that there has been rampant overloading prior to introduction of CC+6+2T/CC+8+2T loads. Extent of overloading can be assessed to a reasonable level if figures of monthly raw material transported by rail and production figures of cement/power/steel plants (where raw materials are imported in the plant by rail only) are correlated for last 3-4 years. Raw material figures can be obtained from the nearest station or the goods clerk connected to the plant and production figures from the plant itself. Extent of overloading will be visible in the increased figures of specific consumption of raw materials post CC+6+2T/CC+8+2T loads. This way actual axle loads moving prior to introduction of CC+6+2T/CC+8+2T loads can be assessed. This will help in taking rational management decision by engineering department regarding rail fractures management, bridge safety management (suitability of bridges, strengthening measures required etc.). Engineering department of zonal railways would like to take action on these lines.

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In the recently held conference of PCEs and Cao(con) held on 31.1.07 ad 1.2.07,this issue was discussed .It was brought out that rampant overloading of wagons is taking place on many railways beyond the CC+8+2 /CC+6+2 inspite of the fact that Hon'able MR had warned all GMs for its prevention .Engg Deptt is required to take proactive action for detection and prevention of overloading.Railways are required to issue JPO for action to be taken and to impose speed restriction in case overloading is detected.

Shared Documents Joined: Jan 03, 2005 No. of Replies: 28

Ask yourself how many times U have visited a ldg point and seen the printout od a weigh br. Why PCE can not ask his AENs to atleast visit once ina month a ldg point in his jurisdiction and send copies of printout to him. As ME I was getting overldg reports from some of the PCEs and the matter of over ldg was taken up with MT.
SPS Jain Former ME.

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I have frequently visited the loading point, when I was involved in a doubling project. Once I was accompanying COM/SWR from UBL-BAY. At one station PKL, ( daily 4 to 5 Iron ore rake being loaded), the COM/SWR asked one Commercial Inspector posted for that loading point,

COM/SWR :how are you ensuring that the wagon is not over loaded?

CI/PKL :Sir, we mark one line inside the BOX wagon, after taking the sample volumetric weigment. Then after loading we climb down in the wagon and check the line.

COM/SWR: how much time one N-rake takes ?

CI/PKL :Sir, It takes about two hours.

COM/SWR: Do you check all the wagon ?

CI/PKL: Yes, sir all the wagon.

COM/SWR: Immediately he asked the CI to climb up the wagon and check the nearby loaded wagon of a train ready to start and come back ?

(When the CI came back, after about eight minutes, with heavy breathing and with shaken voice.)

COM/SWR: It took eight minutes, and full rake will take not less than 4-5 hours, and you are not able to climb properly even one wagon, how can you inspect all the wagon? don't tell lies?
This is the Naked Truth

So, the fact is that no body checks the loading properly. The weigh bridge does not work properly for most of the time. It is speed related, if you go at lesser speed, the weighment may not be recorded.

The solution lies in implementation of the instruction in sprit, increase in the manpower for supervising the loading.

Engg deptt should use some electronic sensors ( just like rubber pads) which can be placed onder the sleeper and rail and the load and be recorded. This kind of sensor is available in the market.

Shared Documents Joined: Jan 03, 2005 No. of Replies: 28

from the above it is clear that neither comml nor optg deptt are worried. Therefore , Engineers have to be alert , and visit the ldg ponts ocasionally and report the matter in writing to their PCEs. If the weigh br is non fumctional , pl report the matter to PCE.
SPS JAIN

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Dear Sir,

Inaction by 1000 (or so) open line AEN's on checking loading in wagons clearly gives an indication on the practical aspect of doing such checks.

On the same logic should accounts department start checking for ticket less travel and report to their FA & CAO's? or check up our TRC records and do some kind of reporting? Does'nt sound very practical.
Vigilante & Policing may be good for drawing attention but when the problem appears to be universally recognised(at least in the Engg. department) why is it that the issue remains a departmental leg pulling affair?

I do agree with your remarks made on some other topic that the benefits of CC+XX in the short term is lucrative enough to go for it. With the additional profits we can surely upgrade the asset in due course to take care of detrimental effects.

Overloading normally happens in bulk freight categories like Coal, Iron ore, and other ore and minerals. 80% of these materials are produced & loaded by Public sector undertakings which were and are still government owned(though slowly moving away from government hands). How is it that we are unable to implement a reasonable & practical loading and its checking policy with organisations which are under the same Government's control as us??? Definitely its an issue to be tackled at levels beyond AENs.

May be one day CVC will ask us to put the weight of each wagon on the web (just as they are asking us to put the status of bills on the web!). It might help us in ensuring that wagon loads are within prescribed limits.

With the extra profit in our pockets how about investing some of it in buying strategic shares in the public sectors which are giving us traffic? In any case government is selling their shares. If we buy lets say between 10 to 25% of SAIL or CIL or BCCL (off course through a holding investment company!) we will have a foot hold in their management. This will help us in ensuring that they keep on using railways for their bulk traffic needs in future, as well as we can implement more effectively the monitoring tools for ensuring proper loading. The benefit may be multi pronged in that you can ensure nothing is loaded beyond the limit or else charge for the extra load.

Take lesson from Vodafone who invested 10% in Bharti just to understand the ground realities of our telecom market. Now that they have bought a controlling stake in Hutch they are talking about sharing infrastructure in an effective way to reduce cost. This is possible only because they have reasonable say in the management of the other company with whom they can share, which might not have been possible had they not invested in bharti two years back for no apparent reason other than investment!

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My purpose to initiate the topic was not to fix responsibility of or curtailing overloading. I also do not agree with the view that AENs should go to the loading point and check the same as this will serve no purpose. The proposed study is for the purpose of knowing the extent of overloading prevalent prior to introduction of CC+6+2T/CC+8+2T loading and take rational decisions out of that and not to fix responsibility of either operating, commercial or any other department. Of course it has to be assumed that there is no overloading at present so that results are fairly accurate.

Shared Documents Joined: Jan 03, 2005 No. of Replies: 28

if you have concern for track , there is no other alternate but to check over loading yourself. Surely traffic or comml deptt will not bother. In case of safety of bank , why do you check the condition of RATs etc.
SPS Jain
former ME

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Mr Sharma , an Engineer based in canada has a fundoo soln for all these hassles. He has a setup for online monitoring of train loads.
a train with overload exerts strains on the rails.
the strain is pikked up by a gauge.
the gauge is read thru a transducer
the reading is written onto a text file
the data is braodcasted/uploaded via a Broad band connexion from an ATM like setup near the load monitoring point on the route.
the data can go to canada into sharma's lab
sharma has a math model for the loads contained vis s a vis the strains obtained.
he flashes the loads online to the recipient client computer who may be the PWI /../ PHOD
Sharma's role ends here.

what is to be done with the overloaded train is decided by the DRM/ GM.

in this process we come to know the details. it may not be a healthy situation, but the amount of damage gets quantified.

Engineers are free to work upon these details in whichever way they want to.
We have those WILDs ( Wheel impact load detector) which are cheaper versions .

one may also think of a portable notebook that does all this. a notebook costs you a few lacs. an AEN is worth more !!
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- takeiteasy... 20-11-07